REBIRTH OF AN ICON

The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it

- SAM JENKINS

CUTTING-EDGE CHASSIS TECH, ADAPTIVE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE and a record-breaking top speed helped the Porsche 959 earn instant icon status. Designed to form the basis of a Group B rally car, it was the epitome of automotive engineering excellence in its day. Now, just shy of four decades since the 959 made its debut at the 1985 Frankfurt motor show, Estonian firm Kalmar Automotive has unveiled its own, modern take on Porsche's ground-breaking supercar.

Named the 9X9, it will be offered in three distinct forms, with just nine examples of each being built. Ranging from the 'standard' 9X9 to Sport and Leichtbau (lightweight) variants, the line-up is intended to offer something for almost every use case. The product of a three-year development programme, the 9X9 is said to blend the charm and attention to detail of contemporary coachbuilding with the benefits and performance of the very latest powertrain and chassis tech.

While you might therefore assume the 9X9 is based on the latest 992-generation 911, it in fact uses the 993 of the mid to late '90s as its starting point. Kalmar says this choice is primarily to make the homologation process easier, particularly in the US. While a near threedecade-old platform doesn't seem to go hand-in-hand with a cutting-edge, modern 959 alternative, the 9X9 is a long way from a 993 under the skin. A new spaceframe is added in order to improve rigidity, with subframes taken from the 992 to allow for considerably more flexibility when it comes to mounting the car's high-tech suspension. The entire electronically assisted steering system (column included), front-axle lift and even rear-wheel steering are taken from the 992, too.